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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

W. BUNKER & L. W. BUTLER. TRIPOD.

No. 496,851. Patented May 9, 1893.

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. BUNKER & L. W. BUTLER.

.TRIPOD.

Patented May 9,,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BUNKER, OF NEW YORK, AND LOUIS W. BUTLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TRIPOD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,851, dated May 9,1893.

Application filed June 11,1892. Serial No. 436.397. (Nomodeh) To allwhom it may concern: 3, suitably secured to the upper end of the Beitknown that we, WILLIAM BUNKER, resection within which it slides. sidingat New York, in the county of New Formed upon or secured to the upperex- York, and Lows W. BUTLER, residing at tremity of the top section ofthe center post Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of1,isabracket4,towhichissecuredthecamera- New York, citizens of theUnited States, have supporting arm or bar 5, by means of a thumbinventednew and useful Improvements in screw 6, engagingscrewthreadedholesformed Tripods, of which the following is a specificatherefor in thesaid bracket 4 and a similar ti bracket formed on the arm or bar 5,whereby [0 Our invention relates to tripods for supsaid arm may beadjusted to different angu- 6o porting photographic cameras and it hasfor lar positions with respect to the center post its object to provideanovel, simple and eco- 1. A screw hole is formed in the bracket 4,nomic tripod which shall afford a strong and to receive a set screw 7which binds against steady support for the camera when in use, thebracket formed on the arm 5, to bind the 15 as well when it is usedwhere there are inlatter in its adjusted position. The open equalitiesof ground as when the surface of bottom end of the lowerextremity of thecenthe ground is level, and which may be packed ter post receives acovering cap 8, having Within a small area when not in use and for pinsor projections extending therefrom to transportation. enter the groundto render the position of 20 To these ends our invention consists in thethe said post steady. Fitted loosely upon one novel construction,combination, and arrangeof the telescopic sections, preferably themidment of parts hereinafter described and die one, and so that it maybe free to slide claimed, reference being made to the accomthereupon, isa collar 9, having secured therepanying drawings, whereinto a pluralityof small brackets 10.

25 Figure 1 is a perspective view of our im- The numerals 11, representtelescopic raproved tripod, partially extended. Fig.2 is dlatiug legscomposed of a plurality of seea longitudinal sectional view of the same,tious one of which sections is preferably packed for transportation, orwhen out of use. made solid and fitted to slide within another Fig 3, isan enlarged, sectional detail showof the sections, and adjustable at thedesired- 30 ing the means of attaching the radiating legs degree ofextension by means of thumb So to the center post and Fig. 4 is anenlarged screws passing through a hole in the section detail of thesplit spring pin constituting a in which it slides and binding againstthe part of this means. solid sliding section. Secured to or formed Inthe drawings the reference numeral 1 With the upper extremity of each ofthese 3 5 designates the center post which is composed radiating legs isa bracket composed of two of a plurality of tubular sections capable ofparts 12, 12, having a space between them sliding one within another.These sections into which fits the bracket 10 on the collar areadjustable to any desired degree of exten- 9. These brackets are formedwith coincision, whereby the camera may be supported dent holes toreceive a split, spring pin 13,

0 at any suitable height from the ground, by which is shown in enlargeddetail in Fig. 4, means of set screws 2, passing through holes and,which, when inserted in the holes formed formed therefor in thedifferent sections and in the brackets expands and is retained inbinding against the sections which slide withposition by a slight headformed on the said in the sections to which the respective screws pin.By means of this connection the radiat- 45 are applied. The sectionscomposing this ing legs are securely attached to the center 5 centerpost are prevented from being disenpost and their lower ends free to bemoved to gaged from each other by slightly flaring that and from thesaid center post. extremity of each section which slides within Byfitting the collar 9, loosely on one of the another, which flaredextremity comes in contelescopic sections, should the operator acci- 5otact with ashoulder formed byaring or band dentally come in contact withone of the ra- 10o diating legs 11, or should one of said legs beotherwise distributed the jar or vibration caused by such disturbancewould be transmitted to and taken up by and lost in the loose collar 9,so that the center post 1 and the other radiating legs 11 would remainfirm and undisturbed. Also, by reason of said collar being free to slideupon one of the telescopic sections, whenever it is necessary for thecenter post 1 to rest at a higher or lower elevation than the radiatinglegs 11, said radiating legs will automatically seek their properposition. have shown a thumb screw tapping the collar 9, but this isintended for use only, when circumstances require that said collar befitted over the smaller or top section of the center post, in which casethe said thumb screw will be adjusted to confine the collar so that itcannot slip over the top of the center post, but this thumb screw is notessential and may be dispensed with.

It will be seen that every partof the tripod is conveniently adjustable,and that the center post may be supported in a Vertical positionnotwithstanding irregularities in the ground, the radiating legsautomatically ad- 3' usting themselves to meet the existing necessities.

It will be seen that we provide a tripod which will be firm and steadyunder all circumstances, the center post sustaining the weight of thecamera, and the radiating legs bracing and steadying said center post,and any jar or vibration of which radiating legs is taken up by theloose collar 9. Finally by our invention we provide a tripod which, whenout of use orin transportation, maybe packed into an extremely smallspace, and to accom plish this each of the sections composing the In thedrawings We center post is provided with an open bottom and the inner ortop section is tubular so that the sections may be telescoped and theradiating legs detached and inserted into the tubular inner or topsection.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In a tripodthe combination of a center sectional telescopic post, acamera-supporting arm carried thereby, and radiating telescopic legssecured to the center post, each section of said center post having anopen bottom and the inner or top section being tubular to receive theradiating telescopic legs, substantially as described.

2. In a tripod, the combination of a center telescopic post, acamera-supporting arm carried thereby, a collar loosely fitted on saidcenter post, and radiating telescopic legs secured to said slidingcollar, substantially as described.

3. In a tripod, the combination of a tubular center post composed oftubular telescopic sections, a camera supporting arm, a sliding collararranged on the center post and provided with brackets, and theradiating telescopic legs detachably connected with the brackets of thesliding collar so that said legs can be removed and inserted bodilyintothe innermost telescopic section, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and affixed ourseals in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM BUNKER. [L. 3.] LOUIS W. BUTLER. [L. s.

Witnesses:

HENRY P. FRANSIOLI, AUGUSTUS J FRANSIOLI.

